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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 53

Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam

The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya

मातापित्रोश्च शुश्रूषां कुर्वन्ति ये नरोत्तमाः । गङ्गाविश्वेश्वरधिया ते वै भागवतोत्तमाः ॥ ५३ ॥

mātāpitrośca śuśrūṣāṃ kurvanti ye narottamāḥ | gaṅgāviśveśvaradhiyā te vai bhāgavatottamāḥ || 53 ||

凡人中至善者,恭敬爱护而奉事父母,并以同等的神圣敬意视此奉事如恒河与宇宙之主——他们确为最上婆伽梵信众。

mātā-pitroḥof (their) mother and father
mātā-pitroḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootmātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Feminine pair; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन); dvandva 'of mother and father'
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चय)
śuśrūṣāmservice/attendance
śuśrūṣām:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootśuśrūṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
kurvantido/perform
kurvanti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); parasmaipada
yethose who
ye:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
nara-uttamāḥbest of men
nara-uttamāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootnara (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
gaṅgā-viśveśvara-dhiyāwith the attitude (seeing them as) Gaṅgā and Viśveśvara
gaṅgā-viśveśvara-dhiyā:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootgaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + viśveśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + dhi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग) as dhi; Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); 'with the understanding (that they are) Gaṅgā and Viśveśvara' (reverential attitude)
tethey
te:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
vaiindeed
vai:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात), emphasis
bhāgavata-uttamāḥthe best devotees
bhāgavata-uttamāḥ:
Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधान-नाम/Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootbhāgavata (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

G
Ganga
V
Vishveshvara

FAQs

It declares that true bhakti is validated by lived dharma: sincere service to one’s parents, performed with sacred reverence, is counted as the mark of the highest Bhagavata.

Bhakti is not only temple-rites or pilgrimage; it is the sanctification of daily duties. Seeing parental service with the same holy attitude as Gaṅgā and the universal Lord makes one’s conduct itself an offering to Bhagavān.

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is dharma-sādhana—right conduct (sadācāra) and seva as an applied discipline supporting bhakti.